Mike Barber to run for Greensboro council at large

A younger Barber (courtesy photo)

Former Greensboro City Councilman Mike Barber announced today that he will run for council at large in the election this fall. Barber, a Democrat, served as the District 4 councilman and decided not to seek re-election in 2009.

"Taking some time away has given
me a fresh perspective and some new ideas," said Barber, whose family took a sabbatical in Spain after his tenure on council. "I care a lot about Greensboro and I feel like I have something to contribute. Looking forward, we need to renew
our focus on branding and marketing the city of Greensboro."

He added that it will be important for the city to take "a holistic
approach to the development" in the future. Barber, who also served as a Guilford County Commissioner, is the CEO of The First Tee of the Triad, a non-profit that teaches kids life skills through golf. He has been with the non-profit for almost two years and still practices law.

During his tenure, Barber introduced the Greensboro Aquatic Center, he said. He also helped balance the city's budget by reducing the number of city employees through attrition and consolidation, which allowed the city to increase employee compensation as well, he said. Barber is partially known for bringing up the option of reopening the White Street landfill, which he said was a bargaining chip in the city's waste management contracting negotiations. Barber said he underestimated the sensitivity of the issue at the time and pointed out that he was not on council during the divisive debates on the landfill. He said it is a non-issue now that he does not plan to revisit.

Filing for the city council election race won't start until next month, but check back for more candidacy announcements and detailed election coverage.